Art of Noise and Silence

There are still a few public places where etiquette calls for silence, such as libraries, courtrooms and your favorite place of worship. Art Saint Louis takes another traditionally quiet space -- the humble art gallery -- and livens it up with a little noise. In the new exhibit Silence and Noise, 49 area artists show work that visually conveys one or both of these concepts to demonstrate how opposing visual styles operate alongside and against one another. Postwar abstract expressionists Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock are obvious points of reference -- Rothko's color fields emote silence, while Pollock's action paintings read as visual static -- but the work included in Silence and Noise promises to not simply riff on well-worn paths. Painting plays a big part in the show, but photography, printmaking, drawing, and wood and glass work are also exhibited. Silence and Noise opens with a free reception from from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, April 19, at Art Saint Louis (1223 Pine Street; 314- 241-4810 or www.artstlouis.org). The show remains up through Thursday, May 29, and the gallery is open Monday through Saturday.
Mondays, 7 a.m.-4 p.m.; Tuesdays-Fridays, 7 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturdays, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Starts: April 21. Continues through May 29, 2014